From LEAF Farmer Duncan Farrington
March Newsletter
No doubt winter 2009
will be remembered as the first one for several years where we experienced snow of any merit, and some proper winter weather. All the usual headlines have been rolled out; schools closed, lack of salt for the roads, airports closed, and the general misery of a British winter. Personally I love it. Simply put on some warm clothes, drive a bit more carefully on the roads, and enjoy the chance to throw a snowball or two with the children.
Landscape evenly covered in the white stuff, with frosted trees and hedges makes a lovely change from the usual mud, however it has slowed things up a bit on the farm. We were hoping to plant our spring beans some time in February. These are still safely in bags in the barn, rather than in the field growing. And while the beginnings of spring growth should start to occur, everything is covered under a blanket of white. This is not necessarily as bad thing, as it insulates small plants from the cold nights, so that when the snow does disappear they will hopefully be ready to grow rapidly as the weather warms, and the days lengthen.
The weather has had an effect on the birds and mammals around us, with the evidence clear to see. Rabbits, muntjaks and pigeons for example are desperate for food as their usual supply is hidden from them. This is good for the farmer as we continue to battle against flocks of pigeons each year which over winter on our rape crops, eating their way through many acres, or rabbits grazing young wheat plants to the ground. Now however as you drive around the countryside, you can see the damage they are doing to roadside hedges, where the lower stems have been completely stripped of bark in an effort to find some food. We have even found some of our young planted trees with the protective guards removed and the bark stripped. Not only are they hungry, but obviously ingenious as well. We will have to wait until the summer to find what long term damage has been done. It may sound cruel, but as we celebrate the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth, this winter is a great example of natural selection, with the survival of the fittest in action. Who would complain about a few less rats or winter coughs and colds to go around?
Once the crops do reappear, and the soil eventually dries out, the first task will be to plant those beans, and then start giving the crops some plant food in the form of fertiliser as they start growing in the spring. At this time we will asses how the crops look following the winter, so we can try to give the plant exactly what it will need to grow into strong, healthy plants. I don’t think there are going to be any record breaking yields this year, so it will be vital to look at how to get the best out of what we have got without waste.
One thing the weather did not stop was preparation for our annual LEAF audit. The auditor arrived, and after a day of probing questions, and checking all the right information and protocols were in place, we successfully completed the audit with a couple of simple recommendations, ensuring we keep up to date with the latest in best practise. Probably more importantly, on the third attempt the bank manager managed to make it to the farm, and although not sure if he is now officially a civil servant or not, he has got our signatures, which means the bank continues to back us for another year.
